Wire twisting device



Feb. 2, 1965 J. o. HOLMAN WIRE TWISTING DEVICE Filed Feb. 21, 1963 FIG 3 FIG 5 FIG 4 INVENTOR JAMES O. HOLMAN United States Patent @fifice 3,168,118 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3,168,118 WIRE TWISTING DEVICE James 0. Holman, Huntington, W. Va, assignor to David R. Holman, Triangle, Va. Filed Feb. 21, 1%3, Ser. No. 260,161 Claims. (Cl. 140118) The present invention relates generally to improvements in wire twisting devices and the like, and more particularly to a new and improved head or working tip for use in joining wires, wire bindings or wire ties, on or about an article.

Those concerned with the development of wire twisting devices have long recognized the need of a wire twister that is simple in construction and operation, which can be used in almost any constricted location, and which is adaptable for twisting wires in a uniform manner.

The general purpose of this invention i to provide a wire twisting device which embraces all of the aforedescribed advantages. 'To attain this, the present invention contemplates a unique head or working tip configuration, made from a single .unit material, which may be integral with a long shaft-like member, said unique head or working tip configuration having, when handled properly, the capacity for easily seizing a pair of crossed wires and twisting the same in a uniform manner, wherein the degree of uniformity (number of wire crossings per length), may be readily changed by merely increasing or decreasing the force of pull on the wire twisting device, while in the process of twisting said crossed wires.

-An object of the present invention is the provision of an improved form of a wire twisting device that i simple in construction and operation.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art, as the disclosure is made in the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawing.

-A simple form of hand tool is selected for illustration, it being understood however, that the invention i not limited to the specific illustrative form nor to a hand tool.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of a wire twister involving this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an orthographic view of the head or the working end of the wire twister.

FIGURE 3 is an orthographic view of the head or working end of the wire twister in FIGURE 2, as viewed from line XX.

FIGURE 4 is an orthographic view of the head or working end of the wire twister in FIGURE 2, as viewed from line SS'.

FIGURE 5 is an isometric view of the head or working end of the wire twister, rotated 90 from the position as shown in FIGURE 1, and representing a stage of the wire joining or twisting operation.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIGURE 1, which illustrates the preferred embodiment, a single unit twisting head '10 integral with a circular shaped shaft '11 which is fixedly attached to a handle 13 by way of ring like means 14- and insert 15. The head or working tip of the wire twister has a face or flat end 17, slotted diametrically to form two sides 17a. and 17b of substantially equal magnitude, the sides being separated by slot 16 having a width A as illustrated in FIGURE 2, which Width is slightly larger than the diameter of the wire to be used, whereby the diametrical slot 16 extends lengthwise of the shaft for a distance iF (see FIG. 4) to the rear of the head or working tip. To provide for the increased effective thickness of the crossed wires, the inner portions of the opposite sides 17a and 17b of slot 16 are bored, so as to form inlets 19 and 20 extending into the head or working end for approximately a distance E (see FIG. 4), whereby both of said inlets 19 and 20 together form a cylindrical shaped area, having a diameter D, the axis of said cylindrical shaped area being the same as that of the axis of the shaft portion forming the head or working end 10. The diameter D should be slightly larger than twice the diameter of the wire to be used.

In the rear of the head or working tip 10 of the wire twister, and located on each of its two sides 17a and 1711, are inclined semi-circular bores or slots 21 and 22 of equal diameter and spaced degrees from each other (see FIG. 5). Each of said slots has the beginning of its centerline located at a distance E from the face 17 of the head or working tip, and at an angle of substantially 30 degrees from the centerline of the diametrical cut A as shown in FIGURE 2, so that each slot has an opening 21a and 22a respectively, to the diametrical slot A. Each diameter of the inclined circular slots is made to be greater than the diameter of the gauge wire to be used. The circular slots 21 and 22 are bored into the head or working tip portion of the shaft 11, toward the face 17 of the head at an angle which is substantially 60 degrees from the axis of the shaft 11, and for a distance which is less than the radius of the shaft. It is noted that the angle of 60 degrees may be varied somewhat, if desired.

It has been found that for about size 18 gauge wire the following approximate dimensions in inches are workable and preferred:

A= inch B=% inch C= A inch D=% inch F=slightly greater than A inch, but may be varied, if

desired.

Naturally, with different size wires the above approximate dimensions would be scaled accordingly.

The preferred method of making the above described tool is as follows. The head or working tip of the tool is made of a single uni-t material, shaft-like in shape, wherein first a hole, having a diameter D, would be bored into the face of the shaft, then two inclined circular bores, each 180 apart from the other and having a diameter B, would be formed at an angle of substantially 60 with the axis of the shaft, the centerline of each of said bores beginning at approximately a distance E from the face of the shaft. Next, the diametrical cut in from the face of the head having a width A would be made, and finally, the inner surfaces and edges thus formed, would be polished by an emery cloth or any other conventional means.

In operation the left wire 24 i always crossed over Wire 23 at point 25, provided that the semi-circular slot 22 will always be in the upper side of the head or working tip as illustrated in FIGURE 5. As the head or working tip r10 is inserted at point 25, where wires 23 and 24 are crossed, the left :wire 24 will fall into semi-circular slot 22 and the right wire 23 will fall into the semicircular slot '21, whereby at this .point, a slight pulling on the handle 13 and a turning of the wire twister in the clockwise direction as viewed from the handle, will twist the wires from the point of their crossing outwardly, wherein a uniform twist is obtained by using a proper outward force or pull on the handle. The number of wire twists per length can be adjusted by varying the outward force or pull on the handle.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing disclosure relates to only a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that numerous modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tool for twisting together, crossed wires embracing an article, comprising a shaft-like member, a diametrical slot in the head of said shaft-like member, inlets bored on each side of said diametrical slot and concentric with said shaft-like member so as to receive a pair of crossed wires, and a pair of inclined circular bores in the rear of said head.

2. In a tool for twisting together crossed wires the combination recited in claim '1 wherein each of the pair of circular bores in said shaft-like member is open to the diametrical slot.

3. In a tool for twisting together crossed wires, the combinationrecited in claim 1 wherein each of the pair of circular bores is spaced substantially 180 from the other.

5. A tool for joining wires about an object by intertwisting, comprising a shaft-like head, having an axis transversely slotted across its end, inlets bored on the opposite sides of said slot and concentric with said shaftlike head to receive a pair of crossed wires, further inlets bored in the rear of said slot at an angle substantially 60 to the axis of the shaft-like head. 7

4. In a tool for joining wires about an object by intertwisting, the combination recited in claim 1 wherein said further inlets are spaced substantially 180 apart.

6. Wire twisting apparatus for use in joining crossed wires by twisting the same, comprising a shaft-like member, means for handling said shaft-like member, a circular bore extending in from the face of and being concentric with said shaft-like member, a diametrical slot extending in from the face of said shaft-like member, a pair of inclined bores extending into the side of said shaft so as to meet the rear of said circular bore and said diametrical slot.

7. In wire twisting apparatus for joining crossed wires by twisting same, the combination recited in claim 6 wherein each of the pair of inclined bores is spaced substantially 1 80 degrees from the other and inclined at an angle of substantially 60 degrees from the axis of the shaft-like member.

8. In wire twisting apparatus for joining crossed wires by twisting the same, the combination recited in claim 6, wherein the centerline of each of the pair of inclined bores is located at an angle of substantially degrees from a plane dividing the center of the diametrical slot.

9. Wire twisting apparatus for use in joining crossed wires by twisting same, comprising a shaft-like member, means. for handling said shaft-like member, a circular bore extending in from the face of and being concentric with said shaft-like member wherein the diameter of the circular bore is slightly greater than twice the diameter of the wire being joined, a diametrical slot extending in from the face of said shaft having a width which is slightly greater than the diameter of the wire being used, a pair of inclined bores each being spaced substantially 180 degrees from the other are extended into the side of said shaft at an inclined angle of substantially degrees from the axis of said shaft-like member so as to meet the rear of said circular bore and said diametrical slot, the diameter of each of said pair of inclined bores being approximately twice the diameter of the wire to be used.

.10. In wire twisting apparatus for joining crossed wires by twisting same, the combination recited in claim 9, wherein thevcenterline of each of the inclined bores is located at an angle of substantially 30 degrees from a plane dividing the center of the diametrical slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,422,965 7/ 22 Greenstreet -118 2,492,228 12/49 Lee et al. a 140149 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TOOL FOR TWISTING TOGETHER, CROSSED WIRES EMBRACING AN ARTICLE, COMPRISING A SHAFT-LIKE MEMBER, A DIAMETRICAL SLOT IN THE HEAD OF SAID SHAFT-LIKE MEMBER, INLETS BORED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID DIAMETRICAL SLOT AND CONCENTRIC WITH SAID SHAFT-LIKE MEMBER SO AS TO RECEIVE A PAIR OF CROSSED WIRES, AND A PAIR OF INCLINED CIRCULAR BORES IN THE REAR OF SAID HEAD. 